# timpani

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈtɪmpəni/ · frequency rank #76,401

## Definitions
1. The set of precision kettledrums in an orchestra.

## Etymology
Borrowed from Italian timpani, plural of timpano (“drum”), from Latin tympanum (“drum”), from Ancient Greek τύμπανον (túmpanon), from τύπτω (túptō, “I strike, I hit”). Doublet of tympanum, timbre, timbal, and tymbal.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/timpani